Monday, April 30, 2018

Another Great Home-made Vegan Southern Plate

Here's more vegan soul food. I don't usually brag, but I'm getting pretty good at this. All of this was very good. I just went too light on the salt and had to add it after I put it on the plate. Here's what I made.


Spicy Breaded Tofu Nuggets
I made tofu cubes and left them in the water. I used a zipper sandwich bag and filled it halfway with non-GMO corn meal, white flour, salt, and creole seasoning. I removed the tofu cubes from the water and placed them in the bag, then I shook it all up until the tofu was coated. I baked the tofu until slightly brown.

Seasoned Black-eyed Peas
I soaked and slow-cooked dried peas, covered. When almost done, I added a little bit of cumin, chili powder, diced onion, diced jalapeno pepper, and salt.

Collard Greens
I slow-cooked fresh collard greens in water until the green color became brighter. Then I drained most of the water and added olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper and a bit of salt. I cooked a little bit longer until the green got slightly darker.

Corn Bread
I mixed a batter using non-GMO corn meal, white flour, non-GMO corn starch, baking powder, salt, olive oil, a small amount of sugar, diced yellow onion, diced red pepper, diced jalapeno pepper, a little bit of frozen non-GMO corn kernels, and water. Then I baked it in a casserole dish until brown on the edges.

Spinach with Potatoes 
I boiled potatoes with onion chunks and drained it, then added some frozen spinach and salt and slow-cooked it covered until the spinach was bright green.

Zapp's Spicy Cajun Crawtators

These New Orleans kettle chips are very flavorful, spicy, crunchy, and hot! The funky Cajun flavor is addictive and will light you up. Have some water ready to wash this down.



Confetti Yellow Rice with Black Beans and Broccoli

This is made with yellow rice, black beans, broccoli, red and white onion, assorted bell pepper, vegan sausage, vegan ham, vegan chicken, garlic powder, olive oil, and McKay's Chicken Style Seasoning. I didn't make this. It was part of a shared vegan meal. I would never make this because I'm not a big fan of meat replacements, but this was very good. It had a mild Creole flavor.


Saturday, April 28, 2018

Vegan Breakfast at Whole Foods

This is roasted potatoes drizzled with Ninja Squirrel Sriracha sauce, kale, grits, and black beans. This was charged by the weight, so this was not cheap. But it was good!


Friday, April 27, 2018

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites and Pabst Blue Ribbon

Yes. They are both vegan!


Southern Plate by Chef Will The Palate in Huntsville AL

I always have trouble catching Chef Will when he's open. He's almost never open! But I finally caught him, and I got the Vegan Southern Plate. Here's what that looked like.

Southern Plate by Chef Will The Palate in Huntsville AL

Chef Will specializes in plant-based foods. This meal was very good except the rice was a bit cold. This plate included beans, rice, avocado slices, salsa, collard greens, cabbage, spinach, and fried plantains. This plate occasionally comes with really good vegan cornbread, but he didn't have any. Chef Will cooks real food from scratch. There are many layers of flavor, and it all tastes clean and natural. His presentation is usually better than this. The southern plate seems to be slopped together, but southern food is like that.



Chef Will The Palate was open during Lowe Mill's Concert On The Dock (that's a band playing on the dock under the lights). His trailer is really looking rough, but don't let that fool you. There's a real chef inside, and the food is so good people come back up after eating and tell him how amazing the food was. This time I overheard a lady telling Chef Will's assistant her husband thought the portabella over rice was the best he's ever had. Vegans and vegetarians need to check out Chef Will the Palate.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Home-made Vegan Beer Battered Onion Rings

Ingredients: yellow onion, canola oil, whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, Yuengling Lager, salt, cracked black pepper. It's vegan! I ate it with spicy mustard.



Vegan Biscuits and Gravy at Graze in Nashville TN

This was some of the best biscuits and gravy I've ever had, and this was vegan! Graze describes this as "house made biscuits smothered in gravy and house chorizo topped with green onions and fennel fronds".


The biscuits tasted great and had the texture of old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits. They were soft in the middle and slightly crispy on the outside. The gravy was smooth and tasty. I expected it to have a mushroom flavor, but it had a meaty flavor. The chorizo chunks were chewy and spicy like sausage. The cracked pepper and green onions made this dish perfect! Even meat eaters would love this for breakfast!

Click here to see the Graze website

Starbucks Iced Coffee

This Iced Coffee is plain with no creamer or extra sweetener. Very good.


Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Peanut Butter on a Toasted Sesame Bagel at Panera Bread


Click here for Panera Bread's vegan menu

Mac N Cheese at Cashew Plant Based Vegan Cafe in Chattanooga TN

This may be the best vegan macaroni and cheese I've ever had. If you're in the Chattanooga area I would recommend finding Cashew Plant Based Vegan Cafe. Be sure to order the Mac N Cheese!



Click here for the Cashew Plant Based Vegan Cafe website

More Vegan Food at Zoe's Kitchen

Zoe's Kitchen has new vegan menu items, so I went to try them. This is the Baked Falafel Pita (vegan when ordered without feta or tzatziki sauce), a side of Turmeric Rice, and a side of Israeli skhug sauce. This was all very good! Each item here was full of flavor with interesting spices. I really appreciate Zoe's Kitchen offering these delicious plant-based foods!


Click here to see Zoe's Kitchen website

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Hippie Nachos at Blackstone Pub & Eatery in Gadsden AL

This is the Hippie Nachos at Blackstone Pub & Eatery in Gadsden AL. To make it vegan I ordered it with no melted white cheese and no sour cream. This is corn tortilla chips topped with black beans, mushrooms, fresh cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, black olives, a single peperoncino pepper, and a side of salsa. I also had a Blue Moon Belgian White with an orange slice. This is all vegan!

Hippie Nachos minus cheese and sour cream at Blackstone Pub & Eatery in Gadsden AL

Blackstone Hippie Nachos is a generous pile of comfort food. They usually go heavy on the cilantro, which is why I like them so much. This time they went a bit easy on that and went heavy on the beans. That's great too! The beans were slightly dry and very flavorful, so they may be house-made from dry beans. In fact everything tasted very fresh. The salsa is very good and has a slight Tabasco sauce flavor. Without cheese, the Hippie Nachos basket does need extra salsa. The jalapenos were so hot this time I almost couldn't think straight (or maybe it was the beer getting to me). This was a great meal!

Blackstone Pub & Eatery is usually dark, loud, and crowded. They have frequent live music events in the evening. The building is very old, maybe over 100 years old, so it's rough and grimy inside, but it's very comfortable. Some recent improvements really helped minimize the biker bar feel it had. I'm no longer afraid to use their restroom. They have outdoor seating available for smokers and those with canine drinking partners. The beer selection is huge. The menu is mostly pizza, salad, and quesadillas. I discovered Blackstone during a visit to Gadsden's First Friday street festival. Now I stop by anytime I'm in town.


Click here to see the Blackstone Pub & Eatery website

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL

Ultimate Veggie Burger at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL

The veggie patty was spicy. I'm not saying it was hot and spicy. I'm saying it had plenty of flavor from spices. And the texture was mostly soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside. Chunks of veggies were mixed throughout the patty. The bun was clearly a gluten-free house-made bun. It was good, but most gluten-free bread has a texture that gives it away.  It had the texture and flavor almost like a soft southern biscuit. The vegan "bacon" had the tough, crunchy texture of real bacon but the flavor of grilled mushrooms. The "cheese" and  creamy "aioli" were excellent. It all came together to make a really nice sandwich. The spice made this one taste unlike any other veggie burger I've had. The size is generous and satisfying. The vegan "bacon" could have been a little bit saltier to make it taste more like real bacon, and the bread could have been just a bit sweeter, but those are very minor issues. This was an excellent veggie burger!


Smoked Jicama Slaw 
The meal came with one side option, so I chose the vegan slaw. This was served cold. It was crisp, tangy, and peppery. It seemed to be cauliflower with carrot, red pepper, and a creamy sauce. This was also excellent!

Smoked Jicama Slaw at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL


Cloud 9 Cupcake
Mason Dixon Bakery makes vegan sweets too! Here's the Cloud 9 cupcake. The bottom part tasted like mild chocolate cake, and the top was very rich and sweet. This was excellent but very sweet.

Cloud 9 cupcake at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL


Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL is a cozy little place that's vegan-friendly and specializes in gluten-free foods. The vegan items are clearly marked, and they identify all foods (GF, DF, EF, V, SF, rice free, corn free, potato free) to help people with special dietary needs. This is a rare and greatly appreciated treasure of prepared specialty foods in the south.

Mason Dixon Bakery appears to be in an old 1930s cottage-style house. It has a familiar smell of an old house, almost like Grandma's house with cookies in the oven. The floor echoes when people walk. The surfaces are worn but clean. The front door is clunky and loud. The rooms are small. They do offer outdoor seating on the large deck for those who need more space. During my visit, I received friendly southern service with smiles. I felt like a guest in someone's home. I usually prefer modern restaurants, but this was really nice. I would recommend this place to anyone, especially those with food restrictions.

Click here to see the Mason Dixon Bakery website

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Chargrill Portobello from Ale's Kitchen at Straight To Ale Brewery in Huntsville AL

Huntsville AL has a brewery call Straight To Ale. Inside the bar area they have Ale's Kitchen. They serve a great selection of really impressive dishes, mostly non-vegetarian. But they do have this vegan mushroom burger! Check this out. This is some awesome bar food!

Chargrill Portobello from Ale's Kitchen at Straight To Ale Brewery in Huntsville AL

They describe this as "balsamic marinated portobello mushroom, chargrilled then topped with grilled onion, lettuce, tomato, and smooth avocado sauce -Vegan!". I chose the side salad minus cheese with balsamic vinaigrette dressing as my side option. I had this with Straight To Ale's Brother Joseph's Belgian Style Dubbel (8% ABV). That grilled portobello mushroom was huge! Although it says it's chargrilled and has grilled onions on it, the grilling process is NOT done with the meats (that's what I was told by someone who went to the kitchen to ask). I was told they cook this in the same place they toast the quesadillas. There's a slight chance cheese may get on it, but I didn't find any on my food. Every part of this meal was fantastic!


Click here to see the Straight To Ale website

Vegan Camp Potatoes

I made some potatoes at a camp site. These were seasoned with rosemary, black pepper, and olive oil. It's easier to prepare this before the trip and keep it in the cooler until it's time to cook.


Spice of Life at Graze in Nashvile TN

Spice of Life is a very flavorful juice made with pineapple, carrot, apple, ginger, and jalapeno. This tasted like pineapple juice with carrot at first. It was mild, sweet and refreshing. A second later the ginger started to tickle my tongue and wake my upper respiratory system the way wasabi does. Then the jalapeno revealed itself, and the heat increased down into my throat. Each ingredient adds a new layer of flavor, but watch out! This will wake you up! I would order this again if I wanted something strong. It is a good bold drink that can be sipped. The heat goes away quickly.



Click here to see the Graze website

Friday, April 20, 2018

Home-made Fried Veggie Sandwiches

These sandwiches are made with toasted Dave's Killer Bread, Gulden's Brown Mustard, and skillet-fried mushrooms, onions, and red peppers seasoned with Dale's Seasoning.


Peanut Butter and Maple Syrup on Toast

I toasted some Dave's Killer Bread and put Smucker's Natural peanut butter on it, then drizzled it with a small amount of 100% maple syrup. Very good!


Monday, April 16, 2018

Popcorn at Home Depot

My local Home Depot was giving away free popcorn to trick people into discussing appliance upgrades. I don't want new appliances, but I almost always want popcorn!


Sunday, April 15, 2018

LightLife Chickpea Curry Bowl

This is another good non-GMO product!



Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Franklin TN

Here's a vegan version of the Mediterranean Salad and a vegan pizza at Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Franklin TN. To make the salad vegan, just leave off the feta cheese and substitute the dressing for balsamic vinaigrette. The pizza has Daiya vegan cheese instead of mozzarella with kalamata olives, roasted garlic, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts. It's very similar to the Rustica pizza. Brixx is vegan friendly.




Click here to see the Brixx Wood Fired Pizza website

Pineapple Greens at I Love Juice Bar in Huntsville AL

Here's a large Pineapple Greens at I Love Juice Bar in Huntsville AL. This is a good starter juice for people who want to start juicing. This one is mild and slightly sweet.


Everything at I Love Juice Bar is vegan except the yogurt and honey products. They have juices, smoothies, and ready-to-go foods such as noodle bowls, granola, soups, spring rolls, and edamame. I love Juice Bar!

Click here to see the I Love Juice Bar website

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Home-made Diced Potatoes with Vegan Cheese

I diced and roasted some potatoes, then melted Daiya vegan cheddar on top. This was great!


Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili

Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili chips are vegan! However, they are made with typical junk food ingredients.



LightLife Mediterranean Tempeh Bowl

Here's a LightLife veggie bowl. This was a good non-GMO meal.



This had a very light, clean, natural taste. I was expecting something a little bit more hearty and rich in flavor. I thought it needed some salt, but it was still good. I will probably buy this again.

Rosie's Mexican Cantina in Huntsville AL

Here you see Rosie's burrito plate made vegan style. I couldn't eat all of this after eating a basket of chips with salsa. This was very good at the table and as left-overs. Notice I forgot to take the photo before digging in. I almost ruined it for you!

Burrito Plate at Rosie's Mexican Cantina in Huntsville AL

To make this vegan I had to tell them to "make the burrito with veggie beans instead of regular beans, leave off the cheese, substitute the queso for ranchero sauce, and make the beans on the side veggie style also and with no cheese on top, and no rice on the side". That's complicated! I bet they hated that! They did get the order correct, but I saw the order come out with rice on it. The waiter caught the mistake before it made it to the table. The reason I had to order it without rice is because the rice is made with butter. The regular beans have lard in them. Fortunately they do make veggie beans for people like me. I would like to go back in the future, but I would prefer not to make things so complicated for people. Ordering a guacamole salad with no cheese and enjoying the free chips and salsa is so much easier.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Another Breakfast at Bruegger's Bagels

Here's another breakfast at Bruegger's Bagels. I got a sesame bagel with hummus, tomato, and onion. Was this good? Oh, yeah! This was a great way to start the day. It had carbs, protein, and fat. The onion probably helped keep coworkers away. I ordered this open-faced style to avoid cross-contamination. I'll explain below.


I discovered Bruegger's often uses a clean bread knife to make the first cut on the bagels. Then they put the toppings on, put the halves back together, wrap it all in wax paper, and cut it in half again with another knife at the end of the line. That last knife is used to make the final cut on everything that goes through the line, similar to the way Subway does it. You know what that means? That last knife is covered in cream cheese, egg, and bacon residue. Nasty! I order it open-faced to avoid that last knife. This open-faced style is easier to eat, anyway. I don't like my food diced up and covered in paper. It's possible that the crew will use just one knife for everything, so it's a gamble. Also, they often have greasy gloves from handling the bacon and eggs. The food is great,  but vegans need to order with caution.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Taco Salad at The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN

This was an awesome salad! This salad included spinach, green leaf lettuce, seasoned pinto beans, black beans, organic blue tortilla chips, salsa verde, tomatoes, onion, organic brown rice, vegan sour cream, and a side of vegan ranch dressing. This order had an add-on side of seitan. Even non-vegans would gobble this down and lick the plate! Salad gets a bad reputation because most salads are not like this. Oh, and this was a huge salad.



Click here for The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant website

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Home-made Spaghetti with Spinach and Bragg's Nutritional Yeast

I used cheap spaghetti noodles and a jar of organic marinara sauce. I mixed in some frozen spinach and topped it all with Bragg's Nutritional Yeast.